Turkey believes it is “top of the list” to host the 2020 European Championship final, after Istanbul lost the 2020 Olympics race.
Uefa president Michel Platini pledged his conditional support in January for Istanbul getting the elite final and semi-finals hosting package, Emre Alkin, the Turkish Football Federation general secretary said on Wednesday.
“It is all about the promises and Mr. Platini in a face-to-face conversation promised us — and I underline that, promised us — that if we don’t get the Olympic Games we will surely have the final package,” Alkin said.
Platini’s France had edged Turkey to host Euro 2016.
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Schiavone in seoul last 8
Seoul, Sept. 18: Former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone fought her way into the WTA Korea Open quarter-finals as tournament seeds tumbled on Wednesday.
The unseeded Italian, 33, seeking her second title of the year, overcame France’s Virginie Razzano in three sets 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3 to reach the last eight for the first time since June. Russian third seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova eased past Korean wildcard Lee Ye-Ra 6-4, 6-1, but German seeds Julia Goerges and Annika Beck both fell by the wayside. Sixth-seeded Goerges, the world number 49, capitulated 4-6, 0-6 to Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu, while Russian Vera Dushevina ousted eighth seed Beck 6-3, 7-5. Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska and Maria Kirilenko of Russia, the top two seeds, will play their second round matches on Thursday. — afp